Whether we are thinking about going back to school or making a career change or trying to lose weight or wanting to be more organized or more disciplined or finally getting our finances in order or paying off debt, the act of actually committing to that big goal is always a little bit terrifying.
This week I've heard so many "what ifs?"
What if this doesn't work for me? What if I can't figure out the tech stuff? What if I'm not a good writer? What if no one's interested? What if I get it wrong or make a mistake? What if there's too much competition? What if I'm too old? What if I'm too young? What if I don't know what to say?
But mostly, what people are asking can be boiled down to one big question:
What if I fail?
And the thing is, it's easy to convince ourselves that falling flat on our face is the most terrible thing that could ever happen. We avoid taking risks or stepping outside our comfort zone and don't go after those big goals and dreams because we think failure is the worst-case scenario.
But that's not true.
There is a fate worse than failure, far worse. A consequence of not trying that will ultimately haunt us far longer than the repercussions of making a mistake or the fallout from trying and failing.
It's the pain of regret.
After surveying more than 4,000 people for my upcoming book Do It Scared™, the one thing that has stood out to me more than anything else were the heartbreaking stories of REGRET. The mom who gave up her dream of going back to school. The dad afraid to give up his steady paycheck to go after that dream job. The real estate agent missing out on clients because she was afraid of being too pushy. The woman too afraid to follow the love of her life across the country who has spent the last 25 years wishing she had.
In fact, after reading story after story of people who let fear hold them back, I am convinced that there is nothing quite as devastating as having to live with the long-term consequences of wishing you could go back and try again.
Because while the fear of failure is very real, it is clear that the temporary pain of making a mistake is nothing close to the lingering and haunting feeling that you could have been or done something more.
Kurt Vonnegut once wrote, "of all the words of mice and men, the saddest are, "It might have been." Along those same lines, Chad Michael Murray noted that "our biggest regrets are not for the things we have done but for the things we haven't done"
In other words? Mistakes only hurt for a little while, but regret will follow you for the rest of your life.
And so, my challenge for you this week is a big one: don't let the fear of failing to be what holds you back from going after your biggest goals. The reality is that if you take a chance, you might make a mistake along the way. In fact, you probably will. You'll stumble and hit roadblocks and you might even fail—that's just how it goes. But you'll also be doing it! And, more importantly, you'll be saving yourself from a pain that never really goes away—the regret of having never tried at all.
Live with purpose, friends, and have a wonderful week!
Cheers,
Jon
P.S. If you're still trying to make a final decision about EBA, be sure to catch this open and honest round table discussion I hosted with a few EBA alumni. We answered a TON of questions about the course and what to expect, and it will definitely give you a great feel of whether this is right for you.
Or, if you want something more structured, you can watch the replay of the live training From Passion to Profit, that I held yesterday, but keep in mind that the replay will only be available until midnight tonight!
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